


Origami

by R00bs_Teacup



Category: Merlin (TV)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Fluff, Polyamory
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-06-15
Updated: 2017-06-15
Packaged: 2018-11-14 14:11:10
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,095
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11209698
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/R00bs_Teacup/pseuds/R00bs_Teacup
Summary: Lance makes nice paper folds





	Origami

**Author's Note:**

  * For [glim](https://archiveofourown.org/users/glim/gifts).



“It’s brunch with Lancelot today,” Merlin says, looking down at Arthur’s mostly naked recumbent form on the sofa. 

Arthur has a rare Friday off and is taking the opportunity to sprawl on the sofa in the warmth of his flat in a pair of jogging shorts. He has an arm thrown over his face, his hair splayed around him, it’s not a grey day the sun’s shining through the windows over his body. He looks out of time, like the prince in Spenser’s Fairie Queene, unreal and ethereal. He shifts his arm to give Merlin a sleepy look, which doesn’t help; his eyes are full of dreams and reflecting the blue sky are bluer than ever. 

“Brunch,” Arthur says, contemplative. “No.”

“They have pancakes,” Merin wheedles. He’s hardly seen Arthur this week. 

“You’re going on a date,” Arthur points out. “I do not wish to gooseberry up my lovely day off.”

“It’s Lancelot,” Merlin says, laughing, relaxing now he has the problem Arthur’s been refusing to iterate all morning. “He will be ecstatic to see you. He works with you every day and every morning he greets you as if you haven’t seen one another in years. His enthusiasm is matched only by a very young puppy in great excitement.”

“You’re ridiculous,” Arthur says, replacing his arm over his eyes. “Besides, I have a headache.”

“Come on,” Merlin says, pressing a knee to the cushions and nudging Arthur’s side. Naked side. Merlin smiles. “Come with me to eat pancakes, naked boy.”

“I’m not coming naked,” Arthur says. 

“Well that will be rather stick-”

Arthur’s up off the sofa, hands over his ears and rushing away before Merlin can finish his joke. Merlin grins dopily, amused by Arthur’s priggishness. Not that it’s really priggishness. Arthur always comes across as a complete prude. He also tends to go about naked or mostly naked when he can get away with it, enjoys Merlin’s body as well as his own and, in all probability, most everyone else’s too. He certainly likes drawing everyone without a scrap on. He’s just not very sexual most of the time. Merlin’s still smiling fondly, thinking about it, when Arthur comes out in a sleeveless tee, a zippy hoody over his arm, bare feet in unlaced trainers. 

“Sexy,” Merlin says, taking him in. 

“Shut up. You’re sure they have pancakes?” 

“Yep.”

“And Lance really shan’t mind my gatecrashing?”

“I will make a bet with you that he’s more happy to see you than he is me,” Merlin says. 

Arthur scoffs and walks out of the flat, waving an imperious hand indicating that Merlin is to follow. Merlin finishes getting ready, makes sure he has keys phone money (Arthur will have forgotten all three so Merlin takes Arthur’s money instead of his own and both their phones). Arthur’s waiting in the street when Merlin comes down, eating a packet of wine gums. 

“Did you just find those in your pocket?” Merlin asks, dubiously, when Arthur offers him one. 

“I went to the newsagent when you didn’t come,” Arthur says. 

Merlin considers asking about money but decides not. The woman in the newsagents likes Arthur and usually lets him have things when he strides in and says Merlin will pay later. She keeps a running tab for him, even though the shop isn’t meant to allow such things. Merlin is used to Arthur being a charming wanker and also being an upper class white bloke; he gets what he wants. He is at least polite about it. They walk side by side to the brunch place, it’s five minutes and Arthur’s in his own little world so Merlin texts Elyan and Morgana. He’s having a heated debate with them both about scrabble when they arrive and it takes him a moment to spot Lancelot waiting for him at the counter, sipping an espresso and idly talking to the man at the till. He sees Merlin and smiles in welcome, then see Arthur and beams, eyes shutting with sheer joy. Merlin snorts. 

“Nice to see you too,” Merlin says, as Lancelot bounds over to embrace Arthur and express wordlessly his enthusiasm for this new plan.

“Hi,” Arthur says, ducking his head and flushing, when Lancelot finally lets him go. Lancelot touches the backs of his fingers to Arthur’s cheek a brief second before turning to Merlin. 

“Hello sweetheart,” Lancelot says, kissing Merlin’s cheek and giving him a calmer hug. Merlin waits till he’s done his affectionate thing and then kisses him. He hasn’t seen Lancelot in a while and he’s a good kisser so they kind of lose track until Arthur makes an uncomfortable sound and Lancelot at once draws back. 

“I brought Arthur,” Merlin says. “He was draping himself nakedly over furnishings, I thought this would be more productive.”

“I got winegums and chocolate,” Arthur says loudly, shoving Merlin, blushing. 

“Nice,” Lancelot says. “Is there any left? Merls can order, let’s get a table on the balcony.”

“Merlin can order,” Merlin parrots, watching them go and turning to the counter. He laughs, losing any kind of annoyance and letting the fondness for them both wash over him. How they haven’t started dating yet is a mystery to him. 

“What can I get you?” the bored server asks. 

Merlin orders their usual, plus extra maple syrup for Arthur who seems to be in a sweets mood today, and heads out with the coffees. Arthur and Lancelot aren’t talking, they’re just sitting quietly, Lancelot doing something to the wrapper from the chocolate bar Arthur watching the street below. Merlin sits between them and passes out the coffees. Bringing Arthur to brunch is always nice. Lancelot is really good company and Merlin really likes their conversations which tend to range between what they’ve both been reading and what they’ve come across in the news that upsets of excites them. He also likes that whenever they disagree about how things ought to be Lancelot will placate him with a kiss or some affectionate little touch. Arthur usually sits, perfectly happy to listen and not join in. When he’s expected to be part of things he talks loudly, verges on boarish, and makes himself central to everything. When he’s allowed to relax though he likes quiet and enjoys being left to himself, to watch and listen and drift off in his own thoughts. 

“But you can’t expect everyone to care as much as you two do,” Arthur says, interrupting Lancelot and Merlin’s excited plans for protesting the latest inhumane cuts to benefits. “I agree with you of course. To change things the way you want, people have to care, and they don’t.”

“That’s cheerful,” Lancelot says, smiling at Arthur. “Here.”

He gives Arthur the chocolate wrapper and Arthur takes it curiously, examining it. Lancelot has folded it into a swan. Arthur starts to smile, warmth suffusing him, eyes alight with wonder and appreciation. He looks at Lancelot, then at the swan resting on the palm of his hand. 

“For me,” he says, closing his fingers gently over it and pulling it to him, opening his hand to look at it, head tilted. 

“Yes,” Lancelot says, grave and soft as if it’s a great gift. 

“Thank you,” Arthur says, in the same vain. Then he shakes a little of the gravity off and his smile gets a little more normal. “You know, it’s a political action. To give something like this, a kind of symbolic kindness, all the beauty in the act of… of… caring.”

“Yes!” Lancelot says, turning excitedly to Merlin. “Let’s do that! Like yarn bombing but, you know. Origami bombing! You know that modular origami? I bet we could design something that includes the wall or something. And it’s paper we can write messages on it and stuff.”

They google it, heads bent close, and find that it’s already a thing people do. By the time they’re done with brunch Lancelot has two A4 pages of note paper filled with ideas, people to contact, what they’re protesting. Arthur makes a quiet suggestion that they put welcoming positive messages to counteract all the racism and xenophobia and hatred of politics right now and then retreats behind his second coffee with his swan, watching them take off with his idea. 

The swan gets set carefully on the window sill, the window Arthur likes to look out of. Merlin finds it hugely entertaining but doesn’t comment, especially when he sees Arthur gently touching the swan’s head now and then and smiling. Anything that makes Arthur smile is good by him. Arthur might be a huge prat and rich and white and look like he has everything in the world, but Merlin doesn’t care how it looks he knows Arthur needs extra care now and then and he doesn’t give a damn who gives it as long as Arthur gets all the love he needs. He didn’t ever have enough. Now he will, Merlin will make absolutely sure of that. 

*  
In the past Merlin’s found it awkward sometimes, when his partners are at gatherings and Arthur’s there too. He doesn’t want anyone to feel like he’s not paying them enough attention. With Lancelot it’s ok, Lancelot and Arthur are both ok with Merlin doing whatever he wants, they’re comfortable with each other. It’s a film night this time and Arthur’s eating his way through a box of Quality Street in the kitchen, head on his arm on the table, while the rest of them are in the livingroom watching Lord of the Rings. Merlin’s not sure what’s the matter and isn’t in the mood for working it out so he’s curled up under Lancelot’s arm and is paying zero attention to Arthur or the film and most attention to stroking Lancelot’s stomach under his shirt, kissing him, nuzzling into his neck. 

“If you two are gonna have sex do it somewhere else,” Elyan grumbles when Merlin accidentally kicks him. 

“We’re not having sex,” Lancelot says, stroking Merlin’s hair. “Little hedonist.”

“I’m a very big hedonist actually,” Merlin says, groaning as Lancelot’s fingers rub against his scalp. “We’re not having sex Elyan. What exactly do you think sex is? Do you need a talk about the birds and the bees again?”

Elyan thwacks him around the head and Merlin laughs, getting up to go check on Arthur. Lancelot pulls him back down and pets his hair, promising to go instead. Merlin makes him wait to get up so they can kiss and then he flops against Elyan, watching the film, idly listening to Gwen’s eager commentary from Elyan’s other side and Morgana’s acerbic sarcasm from the armchair. Leon’s lying on the floor asleep, having pulled a night shift and only here because he’s hosting this week. Why he isn’t asleep in his room Merlin doesn’t know. Percy’s around too, in the kitchen getting popcorn and, from the sounds of it, fussing gently over Arthur. Lancelot comes back ten minutes later and Merlin wriggles back into his arms. 

“He’s just tired, doesn’t feel like company,” Lancelot says. 

He’s got a couple of sweet wrappers and folds them into two little turtles as Merlin watches, fingers deft and agile. He keeps them resting on the arm of the sofa until the films over and Arthur comes in to persuade Merlin to give him a lift home, then Lancelot gives the little turtles to Arthur. He comes back with them and Arthur sleeps in their room and Lancelot and Merlin take the spare, close but giving Arthur space. Merlin had planned to go to Lancelot’s but this is nice, too. Less sex more cuddling, perfectly acceptable. The turtles end up on the table in their bedroom, face to face as if chatting, balanced on top of the light shade held in place with bluetack. 

*

Merlin loves watching Arthur dance. He’s so unco-ordinated and graceful, a weird confusion of contradictions. He’s drunk tonight, they came out to have a few drinks and meet up with Elyan and Arthur had gone a bit over and is now dancing in the middle of the pub. He’s drawn a fair few people into it and the bar staff are looking on in dubious bewilderment. Elyan and Merlin are sat shoulder to shoulder against a wall in a corner, also watching. Elyan’s good Arthur-watching company, he likes watching Arthur, too. Or maybe he just got into the habit of it back when they were teenagers and Arthur needed a bit of watching. Elyan needed it back, from what he’s said, and Arthur had fulfilled the role with much mother henning and fussing. 

“Oh hey, it’s Lance,” Elyan says, pointing. 

Merlin looks away from Arthur toward the door. Sure enough, Lancelot has just stepped inside out of the rain, his long wool coat sparkling with water, his hair tied back, his eyes scanning the room as he pulls off his gloves. He spots whoever he’s meeting, then spots Merlin and comes over to give him a kiss and shake water all over him. 

“Thanks,” Merlin says, tugging Lancelot’s coat to get him another kiss. 

“Good to see you, what are you doing out on a Tuesday?” Lancelot says. “Hey, Elyan.”

“We’re meeting Elyan,” Merlin says, and sees Arthur at the bar with a line of shots. “And Arthur is getting sloshed apparently.”

“Good god, so he is,” Lancelot says, smiling over in that direction. “Shall I sit here and watch, or go join in the inevitable dancing?”

“He’s been trying to drag us into it all evening,” Elyan says, draining his pint. “He’ll appreciate the company.”

“Shouldn’t you see whoever you came here to see?” Merlin asks. 

“Gwaine? He’ll find someone else,” Lancelot says, shrugging. “We were just going to drink. Maybe sleep together, he’s lovely.”

“Point him out?” Merlin says, and finds the man in the crowd with Arthur; rough and beautiful, flicking his hair back, unshaven. He shrugs. 

Lancelot ruffles his hair and gives him a kiss, affectionate and warm, and goes to drink with Arthur for a while. Drinking quickly becomes dancing and Arthur ends up in Lancelot’s arms, kept close and safe. Lancelot leaves Arthur after a bit and comes back over, sweaty and happy. He flops down next to Merlin and takes Merlin’s arm, putting it over his own shoulders, and reaches over to pinch Merlin’s gin and tonic. He complains that it isn’t vodka so Merlin goes to refresh their drinks. He finds Elyan and Lancelot deep in conversation about music and leaves them to it, sitting next to Lancelot and resting a hand on his back but paying attention to his phone rather than his surroundings. He gets distracted by a book and doesn’t look up, only surfacing to rub Lancelot’s back now and then or reach up to stroke his hair. Arthur comes wandering over eventually and sits on the floor. 

“Oh, no, Arthur get up,” Elyan says. “It’s sticky down there.”

“Yeah,” Arthur says, touching the floor and beaming up at them. 

Merlin goes with him to the bathroom to make sure he washes his hands. When they get back Lancelot has gone but in his place there’s a neatly folded frog that Elyan says is for Arthur, and a text for Merlin saying something about Gwaine-after-all. 

“Are you coming back to ours?” Arthur asks Elyan, leaning into Merlin. 

“No I’m going to mine, to sleep, because I’m sober and respectable,” Elyan says, pushing Arthur gently and watching him sway. 

“Ok,” Arthur says, unphased. “I only thought you might like to. You asked us to come DRINKING on a TUESDAY. We’re going to watch Captain America. You like Captain America. Steve is in it being married to Sam.”

“Tempting,” Elyan says. “Yes ok but you gotta give me popcorn too.”

Arthur nods seriously. Merlin hadn’t known they’d been going to watch Winter Soldier (it’s always Winter Soldier - First Avenger is ‘too sad’ and Civil War is ‘too many people in it’ and Ultron is ‘not enough Sam’). He hadn’t noticed anything up with Elyan either. He takes both of them home and sets them up with hot chocolate instead of popcorn, and then leans on the counter to watch them fall asleep together. He leaves them, then, to nap till the film ends, all snuggled together. He finds the frog gently held against Arthur’s heart, his fingers caging it like a moth. 

*

“Why don’t you just ask him out?” Merlin asks, threading yet another crane onto the string of them Lancelot has going, hanging off the end of the curtain rail in the bedroom. 

“I think he prefers this,” Lancelot says, leaning in the doorway to watch. “He need a little bit of care, he can be so fragile.”

“He’s also a prat,” Merlin says, tying the knot beneath the bird and heading for the door. “He’s not going to get a hint.”

“That’s ok. I want to let him work it out in his own time, he does things slowly sometimes that’s ok,” Lancelot says, resting a hand at Merlin’s waist. “I’m not in a hurry. Why, are you?”

“In a hurry? No,” Merlin says, smiling. “Not really. I think you’re wonderful to him and that makes me so happy.”

“Then I will continue to be wonderful,” Lancelot says, smiling back, kissing him. 

*

“It’s Sunday,” Merlin grumbles when Arthur comes back to bed after being up for ages, naked and chilled from being naked. 

Arthur ignores him and spreads himself out on top of Merlin, hand running over his side, kissing his neck. Then he settles, warming up quickly, humming into Merlin’s hair. He’s in a good mood. Merlin smiles into the pillow and lets Arthur be cuddly and ridiculous. It can’t last forever, though, as they’re meeting Lancelot and Gwen for brunch at eleven. They’re half an hour late, too busy sprawled and hedonistic tangled together. Arthur’s in a lovely mood and spent most of the morning petting Merlin’s hair and rubbing his shoulders and generally being extra attentive. When they arrive Lancelot gets up to greet them, kissing Merlin. Arthur ducks behind Merlin’s shoulder and holds out his hand, stiff and formal. Lancelot quirks his lips but takes Arthur’s hand and when he draws back there’s a very small rabbit folded from white paper. 

“Yes,” Lancelot says, smiling. 

“Ok,” Arthur says. “And Merlin too, not without… all of us.”

“Whatever you like,” Lancelot says. 

Arthur nods. He stays close to Merlin until they’re done with their food, but over coffee he shyly takes Lancelot’s hand and Merlin, his heart six sizes bigger, folds two paper cranes and gives them one each.


End file.
